In plastic surgery, a neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the jawline and neck. A neck lift may remove excess fat and skin in the lower face that creates jowls, remove fatty deposits under the chin, tighten loose neck skin, adjust muscle banding in the neck, for example that create abnormal contours, and/or the like. Factors that cause the need for a neck lift may include heredity, gravity, environmental conditions, stress, and/or the like. These factors may cause excess wrinkling of the neck skin, such as referred to colloquially as “turkey wattle” or a double chin, and impair jowl lines.
Other procedures related to lower rhytidectomy are cervicoplasty and platysmaplasty, which are correction of submental ptosis sometimes necessary to reverse the effects of aging. Cervicoplasty and platysmaplasty may be performed together with facial rhytidectomy, when surgeons may need to address the cervical region.
Originating from the pectoralis major muscle fascia, the platysma is a layer of muscle that has multiple insertions. Moving anterior to posterior, the muscle is anchored to the mentum and the inferior mandibular border and meets the orbicularis oris laterally and then the depressor anguli oris. Platysmal meshing with the depressor anguli oris contributes to the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS), highlighting its importance when attempting to reverse facial aging.
A neck lift may be performed by a horizontal submental incision for lipectomy, with excision or plication of hypertrophic anterior platysmal bands, and wide subcutaneous cervical dissection. This may correct fasciocutaneous ligaments extending from the dermis to the facial fascia, and osseocutaneous ligaments extend from the dermis to the periosteum.
Adipose tissue may comprise subcutaneous and subplatysmal fat tissue. Increased amounts of subcutaneous fat may be observed with weight gain, aging, lipodystrophies, and/or the like. Subplatysmal fat is far more vascular and fibrous than subcutaneous fat and is visualized after incising the platysma muscle. This difference may result in reduced efficacy of liposuction of subplatysmal fat.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the figures.